Card-display apparatus.



G. H. TOWNSEND. ARD DISPLAY APPARATUS. APrLIoATIoN HL oooooooooooo s.

G. H.- TOWNSED.

GARD DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.12, 1908.

946,288.. Patented Jan. 11,1910.

2 SHEETS-fSHEET 2.

wijrncsscs; mvnrrok HIS ATTORNEY.-

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CHARLES H. TOWNSEND, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

CARD-DISPLAY APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. Towns- END, citizen of the United States,residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Card-Display Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device which is especially designed forsuccessively exposing advertising or like sheets or plates.

It consists in a combination of mechanism, and in details ofconstruction which will be more fully explained by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a horizontal section ofcase. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the open case. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection of same. Fig. 4 is a front View of case. Fig. 5 is an enlargeddetail of working parts. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail showing one of theinclined bars 7, a portion of one of the chains with its plate or sheet,and the inclined guide plate l0, the full and dotted lines illustratingthe action of the guide plate upon the sheet carrying the advertisingmatter. Fig. 7 is an end view showing the location of the rollers l1relative to the arm 6.

It is the object of my invention to provide a means for exposing sheetsor plates, upon which advertising or other matter is carried, and totransfer said plates from front to rear so that the exposed plates maybe continuously changed.

In the construction of my apparatus I employ endless traveling chains Awhich pass over sprockets 2 and 3. These sprockets are journaled andturnable inside of a case or equivalent structure 4. The sprockets 9.are disposed in the upper part of the case, and are separatedhorizontally to any desired distance and the sprockets 3 are in likemanner carried in the lower part of the case and separated so that onepair of the sprockets, as 2 and 3, will carry the chain substantiallyparallel with the front of the case, and the other pair of the sprockets'will carry the vertical portion of the chain at the rear portion of thecase; the intermediate portion extending between the upper sprockets 2,and between the lower sprockets 3, so that the outline of the chains asthey lie upon the sprockets is in the form of a parallelogram ortrapezoid. In the present case I have shown the rearmost sprockets 3 asa little higher than the foremost ones so Specification of LettersIatent.

Application le. October 12, 1908.

Patented Jan. 11,1910.

Serial No. 457,372.

that the lower line of the chains between the sprockets 3, inclinesdownward.

The front 4 of the case has an opening made in it through which theplates or sheets 5 carrying the advertising or other matter may beexposed. These plates or sheets 5 have arms 6 projecting from each endat the top, the outer ends of the arms being turned downwardly andforked as shown at 6a.

7 are inclined bars located upon each side of the case and just insideof the lines of travel of the chains. These bars serve to support thearms 6 which project outwardly from the upper edges of the plates 5, andthe inclination of the bars 7 is sufficient, so that the plates willslide down the bars to the front end, where they are arrested by stoppins 8. Pins or spools 9 project inwardly from the chains, and are ofsuch length that when the chains are traveling around their sprockets,the pins will engage the slotted clown-turned end 6a of the arms, whichare fixed to the plates, one at a time; the plate nearest the frontbeing thus engaged and lifted by the chain. The pins may have washers orends which make a spool-like form, and which may prevent any undueshifting of the parts with relation to each other. The plates may be ofsuch width that they will be properly guided between the inclinedsupporting arms 7.

Any suitable or desired power may be applied through necessary pulleys,belts or gearing to revolve one of the sprocket-shafts. In the presentcase I have shown the shaft on which the rear sprockets 3 are mounted,as serving for this purpose. The chains will then travel, and havingengaged one of the plates as previously described, will lift it up untilthe lower edge is above the level of the remaining plates. At this pointthe pins or spools 9 from which the plate is suspended, travelrearwardly over the upper sprockets 2, and the plate is transferred tothe rear of the case; thence passing over the rear sprockets 2, thechains pass substantially vertically behind these sprockets, and withthem the pins from which the plate is suspended. The plate then descendsand the lower edge is thrown toward the front by passing over a curvedor forwardly inclined guide plate or equivalent device or devices 10.The lowermost sprockets 3 are located below the inclined bars 7, and asthe chain passes downwardly at the rear, the projectng arms G will restupon the inclined bars 7, and the continued movement of the chaincarries the suspending pins below these bars on their way to the lowersprockets. The plate being thus suspended upon the inclined bars 7, andreleased from the pins by which it is tra1isferred from the front to therear, will im1nedately slide down the bars, and take its place at therear of the plates which are already suspended upon the bars.

ln order to insure the plates traveling freely, l have shownanti-frictional bearing rollers 1l journaled upon or just below theprojecting arms G, and these rollers turning freely, together with theforward inclination of the bottom of the plate by the action of theinclined plate l0, insure the plate moving to its proper position assoon as it is released from the suspending pins 9 of the chain. Whenthese pins 9 have passed around the lower sprockets and again moved upthe front vertical portions of the chain, they will piel; up anotherplate and transfer it in the same manner as above described. Thus eachof any number of plates will be successively transferred from front torear.

lf used for advertising purposes, the front plate will be normallyexposed through the opening in the front of the case, and as soon asthis plate is withdrawn by the actions of the chains, the plates in therear will slide down, and the next one behind the one just lifted, willtake its place and be exposed. In this manner any number ofadvertisements or equivalent matter will be exposed successively throughthe openings, and the length of time and intervals of exposure willdepend upon the rate of travel of the chains, and the number of plateswhich may be in use.

The chains may be steadied in their moveassess ments by guiding rollersi2 ournaled in 'such relation as to ykeep the chains in the properposition as they approach and leave the plate-supporting bars.

Having thus described my invention, what` ,A

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is* l. rThe combinationin a card display apparatus, of a case having rectangularly disposedsprockets journaled therein, endless chains movable around thesprockets, rollers carried by the chains, plates or cards with armsprojecting` into the path of travel of the rollers, inclined bars withstops against which the cards are arrested with their arms in positionto be successively engaged and lifted by the chain rollers, andtransferred to the top of their travel from front to rear of the case,and a projecting plate below the inclined bars, forming a fulcrum toproject the cards forward when released from the chains.

2. In an endless traveling` chain apparatus for the successive displayof cards, inclined bars located above the lower end of the chain travel,said bars acting to arrest the cards and disengage them from. thecarrying chains, and a plate located in the path of travel of the bottomof the card to throw the bottom of the cards outward, c

and form a fulcruin from which the cards are projected forward upon thebars when disengaged.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. TOVNSEND. lVitnesses:

Tnos. Corn, MARY B. CAMP.

